Our Daily Bread (repost)

This is a repost of a blog from David about making fresh bread on passage. One of the first things we run out of when on a long passage is fresh bread. It is also one of the easiest problems to remedy. My night watches are the perfect time for making bread. It helps pass the time, and I can still pop my head up and take a look around every five minutes or so.

I make the dough during my 9 PM to midnight watch...

let it rise while I'm sleeping...

then try to time it so that it is hot and just out of the oven at the end of my 3 AM to 6 AM watch.

The smell of the freshly baked bread greets Marcie when she gets up, and we enjoy a slice or two over our morning cuppas while discussing whatever happened (or broke) during the night.

Kalamata olive bread is one of our favorites. This recipe makes one large loaf.

Kalamata Bread

Ingredients

Starter

• ½ cup (100 ml) warm water
• 1 tsp (3g) dry yeast
• ½ cup (75g) flour

Dough

• 1/3 cup (66 ml) warm water
• 1 Tbs (20ml) honey or ½ Tbs (6g) brown sugar
• 2 tsp (6g) dry yeast
• 1 Tbs (5g) rosemary
• 1 Tbs (5g) oregano
• 1/8 cup (30ml) olive oil
• 2-1/2 cup (375g) flour
• 1 cup (200g) kalamata olives, pitted and sliced lengthwise
• 1 tsp (15g) salt
• optional: ½ cup (125g) sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
• cornmeal as needed

Starter:

Water should be just warm to the touch. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then add the flour and stir until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let it stand 30 minutes.

Dough:

Combine water, honey or sugar, and yeast, and mix until yeast is dissolved. Add herbs, oil, flour, the starter, olives, and seeds, and mix well. Move to a floured surface, and sprinkle salt over dough. Knead for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Transfer to a floured surface, punch it down to get rid of air bubbles, and shape (don't knead again). Grease a cookie sheet and dust with cornmeal, then transfer the dough to the cookie sheet. Let rise in a warm place for two hours. (On my night watch, I let it rise for 3 hours during my off-watch).

Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Raise the upper oven rack to the second level above the flame and slide an oven proof pan onto the lower rack. About 5 minutes before putting the bread in the oven, add about 1 cup (250ml) of water to the pan. This produces steam for the first 5-10 minutes of baking. The steam keeps the outer layer of dough soft and flexible for a few more minutes, allowing the yeast to continue rising. The result will be a slightly lighter loaf with a brown crust. Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or razor and slide the bread into the oven. Bake at 450 (230C) for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 400F (200C) and continue baking for another 20-30 minutes. Bread is done when you get a slightly hollow sound when the loaf is rapped with a knuckle.

Destination Cape Town (repost)

This is a blog post from May, 2015. Cape Town is such a great town, I thought it was worth another look.

Top Things to Do in Cape Town, South Africa

It's known as the Mother City, the oldest city in South Africa. It's been called the Tavern of the Seas, a crossroads on the clipper ship route, famous as a place for meeting and “refreshing”. In 2014, it was named the best place in the world to visit by both The New York Times and London's Daily Telegraph. Lonely Planet placed it as #2 for best value destination in 2015. Cradled snugly in the lush bowl formed where the Atlantic and Table Mountain meet, Cape Town is, without a doubt, one of the most vibrant, beautiful cities we've ever visited.

There's so much to do and so much to see, you really need some time to take it all in. We're so fortunate to have visited twice for a month each time. There's much, much more, but we're happy to share with you our picks for the top things to see and do in Cape Town.

1. Table Mountain

It's the backdrop for the whole city. You can hike up or take the cable car. Take a look at the mountain before you head there. Pick a clear, calm day. The views are spectacular and the walks on the plateau at the top are easy and interesting with unparalleled vistas in every direction. Consider purchasing tickets on-line in advance to cut down some of the waiting time. Early morning has shorter lines. You can also hike to the top of Lions Head for outstanding views and drive to the top of Signal Hill for views and the firing of the Noon Gun.

2. Robben Island

You cannot leave Cape Town without having visited Robben Island, Nelson Mandela's prison for 18 of his 27 years of incarceration. The museum is interesting, but it is the tour of the island, seeing Mandela's cell, observing the conditions under which the prisoners lived, the stone quarries in which they worked and listening to the accounts of former prisoners that all hit you emotionally. A 9-mile (~15km) ferry ride brings you to the island where you board a bus for the guided tour.

3. Cape Point and Boulders Beach

Part of the Table Mountain National Park, visit Cape Point for spectacular views and up close encounters with local wildlife. Stand on the Cape of Good Hope, see the lighthouse at the tip of the Cape, take a look at the Dias Cross, but watch out for the Chacma baboons. They're cheeky. Not far away is Simon's Town and Boulders Beach where you can swim with African penguins that call the beach home. There's a national parks fee to enter Boulders Beach, but further up the beach closer to Simon's Town, there are penguins and no admission fees.

4. V&A Waterfront

It's busy and frenetic and definitely a don't-miss part of Cape Town. Shops, restaurants, a high-end mall, hotels, diamonds, museums, pubs, an aquarium, free movies, souvenirs galore, the Cape Wheel, buskers, the iconic Clock Tower, Cape Wheel, a swing bridge, souvenirs ... did I mention diamonds? It's all there. Walking around and enjoying the atmosphere is absolutely free. Diamonds? Well, there's a slight charge for those.

5. Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

Bequeathed to the country by mining magnate and politician, Cecil John Rhodes, Kirstenbosch lies at the foot of Table Mountain and offers a wonderful respite from the busy city. Bring a picnic lunch and plan your visit when there's an evening concert.

6. Company's Garden and Downtown Museums

There are lots of museums in Cape Town and we certainly didn't get a chance to visit them all. We can recommend these four, for sure.

• Company's Garden is a 15-acre park in the center of the city originally planted by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 to supply fresh vegs and fruits to passing ships that plied the spice route to the East. It's wonderful for a stroll and along its periphery are several landmarks and museums to visit.

  

• Iziko South Africa Museums – Located near the historic Company's Garden, this group of museums offers so much, it's nearly overwhelming. The South African Museum is the country's national museum and it's chock full of interesting exhibits and also has a planetarium; the South African National Gallery (of art) is nearby, as well as the Slave Lodge.
• District 6 Museum – a solemn reminder of the apartheid era and its influence on the country and its people.

  

• Castle of Good Hope is a fort in the middle of the city, originally built by the Dutch East India Company for its “replenishment” station. It's the oldest colonial building in South Africa and it's fun to cross the moat and walk on the ramparts and explore.

  

7. Winelands Touring

South Africa has the second oldest wine-producing industry in the world, second only to Europe. Constantia is the oldest winery in the country and there are officially 17 wine routes, mostly concentrated in the Western Cape. The longest wine route in the world is said to be Route 62, a lovely route with vineyards and tasting rooms galore.

8. Downtown Walk

There's lots to be said for just walking around downtown and taking it all in. There's Greenmarket Square for cafes, antiques and Africana. Browse along St. George's Pedestrian Mall. Try the PanAfrican Market for locally produced, high quality crafts. Bo Kaap is the Malay Quarter and its brightly colored houses and cobblestone streets are interesting to wander. Try Atlas Trading for a spices, candles and incense. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore. Be streetwise and enjoy yourself.

A couple of notes …

• Most every sight listed above is accessible by either a MyCiti bus or the on/off red tour bus.

• Though Cape Town is a beautiful, dynamic city, it's only a small part of what South Africa has to offer. Game parks, scenery, wild animals along the roadside … get out of the city if you can.

• Visit the Nine of Cups South Africa page for more insight, ideas and photos

Life after Black Friday?

I went shopping on Black Friday. I wasn't after any deals … well, maybe a few. I read all the ads for “Doorbuster Sales” and “Black Friday Specials”, but they didn't really interest me. The local Salvos (that's Salvation Army Thrift Store to you non-thrifters) was having a 50% off everything in the store sale. I like rummaging around to see what bargains I can find. There are two Salvos close by and I visited both of them. I netted six gold and white coffee mugs (Pier 1) to go with our eclectic gold and white china set (previously purchased at a thrift shop) plus six dessert plates, lots of holiday faux-greenery for house decorating purposes, a very stylish Abercrombie & Fitch pull-over sweater and a New York & Co. zip-up jacket. Total cost: $12.67. I didn't feel guilty in the least.

When I got back to the house, I found David and Paul busy in the back yard finishing up a rather elaborate planter project they've been struggling through. They were in need of a heavy-duty stapler and staples, so I went back out to Walmart of all places … on Black Friday. Oh, my! It was bedlam. Merchandise piled high in the aisles. Kamikaze shoppers raced around with carts crammed full of stuff. Children, obviously high on sugar, screamed and ran around unsupervised. Boxes torn open. Stuff laying on the floor, long-since trampled by frenzied consumers. Interminably, long lines at the registers. What had I gotten myself into?

I fought my way bravely to the tool department which was remarkably empty. There was the Stanley Heavy Duty Stapler I needed … behind locked glass doors. As luck would have it, I spotted a Walmart employee immediately who (you'll find this hard to believe) had the key, opened the door and presented me with my stapler and appropriate staples in two minutes flat. Flabbergasted by my luck, I stumbled in a daze to the front of the store to confront the check-out lines. Lo and behold, midst all the turmoil, I spotted what appeared to be an empty line. Could it be? Without skipping a beat, Mae checked me out in a flash and I was on my way back home in record time. I might add … cost of stapler and staples $24.46. Let's weigh the enjoyment factor of each purchase. Hmmmm … I win, hands down.

So what comes after Black Friday? Why, Cyber Monday, of course. That's today, but we're not shopping on-line nor otherwise. And after that? Countdown to Christmas. We're heading to Boston in the next couple of days. We will not participate actively nor willingly in the madding crowds of consumerism. No family gift exchanging this year for us except for trinkets in our stockings. We'll indulge in family time, good wine and fine dinners at home and leave the buying and subsequent credit card debt to others and feel no regret.